Questions From Readers
● What is meant by the “high places of Isaac” mentioned at Amos 7:9, and is it not contradictory for the Bible to say that certain kings removed the high places, yet later on say they failed to abolish them?—A. M., Turkey.
The “high places” refer to the sacred high places of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, whose capital was Samaria, Jeroboam II being then king of Israel. The ten tribes were descendants of Isaac as well as of Jacob or Israel. Hence the expression “high places of Isaac” runs parallel with the “sanctuaries of Israel” mentioned in the same verse (Amos 7:9). The high places of “Isaac” (equivalent to Israel) refer therefore to the sacred high places of golden calf worship at Bethel and Dan, which were patronized by these ten tribes of apostate descendants of Isaac through Jacob or Israel.—1 Ki. 12:28-33.
Concerning King Asa of the kingdom of Judah it is written: “He took away the foreign altars, and the high places, and brake down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim, and commanded Judah to seek Jehovah, the God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun-images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.” Yet later it is recorded concerning his reign: “But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.” And of his successor Jehoshaphat we read: “And his heart was lifted up in the ways of Jehovah: and furthermore he took away the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.” But of his reign also we later read: “Howbeit the high places were not taken away.”—2 Chron. 14:3-5; 15:17; 17:6; 20:33, AS.
How can these apparent contradictions be explained? It seems evident that the high places in Judah fell into two classes, one where pagan gods were worshiped and the other where Jehovah was worshiped. There was to be no toleration of the high places of the Canaanites where their idolatries were practiced: “You must drive away all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their stone figures, and all their images of molten metal you should destroy and all their sacred high places you should annihilate.” But even after the tabernacle was established and still later the temple, there was some sacrificing done to Jehovah on high places which was acceptable to him, the sacrificing done by Samuel and David and Elijah, for example. Also, some improper modes of high-place worship were carried on in Jehovah’s name, and for this reason may have persisted longer than the high places devoted to pagan gods. Even the idolatrous calf worship at Sinai was called “a festival to Jehovah.”—Num. 33:52; Ex. 32:5, NW; 1 Sam. 9:11-19; 1 Chron. 21:26; 1 Ki. 18:30-39.
So it may be that these kings removed all the high places devoted to pagan gods but allowed those where Jehovah was worshiped to remain. If that is the case, then their purging work was not thorough and complete, because in general the proper place for sacrificing to Jehovah was at the tabernacle or temple, and when it was acceptably done elsewhere it was a special case. (Deut. 12:2-14; Josh. 22:29) Yet with the two classes of high places in mind it could be said that the kings removed all of one kind but those of the other class remained.
Or it is possible that Asa removed all the high places of both kinds but that they persisted secretly or cropped up again toward the end of his reign, and were present for his successor Jehoshaphat to smash again, only to have them again go underground and break out later on. Whether we view the explanation to be on the basis of two classes of high places or on the basis of their return after once being overthrown, we must still recognize a revival of the high places, for if they had not returned after Asa overthrew them there would have been none for his successor to smash. Certainly the people were persistent and tenacious in clinging to and returning to demon worship.